


Hidden Away

by baelfires



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-02
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2017-12-16 21:46:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/866950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baelfires/pseuds/baelfires
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After regaining his memories, Rumplestiltskin discovers 14-year-old Baelfire living on his own in Storybrooke.  Pre-curse being broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little nervous about starting a multi-chapter story, but hopefully I can get out updates fairly soon.

Mr. Gold, Storybrooke's infamous and intimidating pawnbroker, was just about ready to head home for the day.

It was essentially a typical day for the man, most of his time spent doing paperwork in the office and tending to some of the various objects around his shop. His customers really only consisted of Regina, especially recently.

Ever since the young woman, Emma, had arrived in town, Regina had been all over Mr. Gold demanding answers.

Rumplestiltskin would merely smirk and offer vague answers, very content with letting Regina fall to pieces and enjoyed watching her squirm as her power of control slipped through her fingers.

But, ever since he had heard Emma's name and regained his memories, days in his shop could be quite… horrible, if he were to be honest. Being at his house could be bad as well, but the shop seemed suffocating at times.

Since he spent most of his time in the back doing paperwork, he found his thoughts drifting more and more on memories that he was both glad to have gotten back and anguished to remember the pain associated with them.

All these memories and thoughts would relentlessly attack him as he sat in what his profession was now in this world, as everyone knew as only Mr. Gold. When it came to be too much, that was when he would take to the streets and simply intimidate people.

Collecting rent was even more fun; it allowed him to believe he was still just Mr. Gold who really had no one in his life to love or miss. The mysterious and powerful Mr. Gold who was never to be crossed.

Rumplestiltskin sighed, today hadn't been awful but he was eager to return home and relax, make some dinner for himself and have an early night in.

He may even schedule some time to plan more steps to guiding Emma to breaking the curse as soon as he was able to push the stubborn woman. Yes, that sounded like a plan indeed.

Mind made up, Rumplestiltskin shut off the light to the back room, got on his coat, and limped his way over to the front door of the shop.

After turning the sign from "open" to close" and locking the door, the man made his way to the car when his something caught his eye in the distance.

Across the street from his shop, seemed to be a boy, though Rumplestiltskin was only seeing the back of the person, but based on the height and build it must be. The presumed boy looked to be carrying a type of bundle in his arms and was walking at quite a quick pace, occasionally turning his head slightly sideways as though looking out for any trouble.

Even from a short distance, Rumple could see that the boy's clothing was worn, with the jeans and long-sleeved shirt torn with holes in some places.

Rumplestiltskin frowned. How peculiar. In all his years of living in this cursed town, Gold knew essentially every single person. Collecting practically everyone's rent will do that, and even his cursed self had seem to known the importance of always being on top of things, and knowing the ins-and-outs of this city.

From his outfit and curious behavior, Rumplestiltskin would have to guess he was in some sort of teenage gang. But, he knew Storybrooke, and there certainly were no gangs. Not in 28 years had the weekly town meetings mentioned any sort of miscreant behavior – which Regina would have been sure to be all over.

In that moment, Rumple quickly decided he would follow this boy and just see for himself what was going on. It wouldn't take too long, he reasoned. Just a quick look to make sure nothing extremely odd was happening that would possibly affect the curse and he would go right back to his plans for the rest of the day.

And... for reasons he couldn't exactly explain, something seemed to be pulling him to wherever this boy was going; or more rather, the boy himself.

Shaking his head of these thoughts, Rumplestiltskin got in his car and luckily caught sight of the boy again. He slowed the car and made sure to follow him at a good length were he wasn't right on top of him but still at a good seeing distance.

To his surprise, the boy wasn't heading to an alleyway to meet up with what he presumed would be the other members of this "gang", instead the boy seemed to be heading to the woods of the town.

Slowing his car down to stop by the entrance of the forest, Rumplestiltskin watched the boy make his way into the thick of the trees; quickly the pawnbroker got himself out of the car and limped after him.

Deeper and deeper into the woods the two went. _How much farther will this little ruffian be going?_ His leg was starting to ache and he was beginning to wish he had not given in to these crazy thoughts.

A clearing soon came, and Rumplestiltskin first caught sight of an old, abandoned house that looked ready to fall in on itself. The boy went inside and left the man to his thoughts.

_Well, what should I do now?_ Should he wait and see if this "house" was a meeting place for other people to meet this boy or go and greet the boy himself.

No. It best to wait and see what would happen. Rumplestiltskin figured he would give 15-20 minutes before he would end this crazy little adventure of his and go home. That should be enough time for teenage gang members to come, right?

Before the man could even go back to the outer edge of the clearing and conceal himself in the trees, the boy had come back out again, head bowed as he closed the door slightly.

Rumplestiltskin immediately stopped in his tracks. Shit. As he tried to think of what he would possibly say, the boy turned from the door to resume what he had come out for and raised his head – stilling instantly as he noticed he was not alone in the clearing.

Rumple's breath stopped in his throat, the world stilled, and all he could hear was the beating of his own heart as everything but him and this boy ceased to exist.

_It… it **couldn't** be. It wasn't **possible.**_

**Bae?** Standing before him, looking exactly as he had the night he had fallen in that horrible portal was his lost son. His sweet and precious little boy, **Baelfire.**

He must be hallucinating. Back before Regina had cast the curse, Rumplestitlskin would often see the boy appear in his castle. And every time the imp would beg the boy to be real, even just for a moment, so he could touch him, hold him. Whenever he got close to the beautiful sight of his boy and reach out, the image would disappear like sand in the air and Baelfire was no more.

Just a failure of a father and a coward would remain.

But, in every hallucination Bae had been dressed and looked like he had the night he had last saw him. When his eyes thoroughly scanned the boy, drinking in every detail – for even hallucinations were a cursed blessing - there was something wrong.

This Bae looked very tired and pale; his face betraying lack of sleep and a tad dirty. His signature dark wavy hair was slightly longer, mused with pieces sticking out and curls in numerous tangles.

The child wore jeans that had dirt and had numerous holes and tears. His long-sleeved, oversized shirt looked worn and thin, barely suitable in the colder air of Storybrooke and hung over him. His shoes looked to be the only sturdy thing he had on: a simple pair of old sneakers.

And his son had always been small and thin, but this Baelfire looked a little _too_ thin to be healthy for a normal child.

So, why would Rumplestiltskin ever hallucinate his son in such a state? Could he _really_ be here then?

He took in some air. "B-Bae?" Rumplestiltskin breathed, his eyes wide and filling with tears. He had casted this curse with the hope of finding his son, but.. it couldn't possibly be this easy, could it?

The boy started backing away a little and a look of fear crossed his face.

Rumplestiltskin's heart quickened at the sight, and he held out a hand, "No, it's ok, it's ok. It's all right, son. Please, don't be afraid." The sight of his long lost son backing away in fear of him crushed the man's heart. "D-do you recognize me?" The man's voice trembled.

The boy shook his head and gazed back to the old house.

Rumple couldn't help but step closer, desperately needing to touch the boy and see if he was really there. "Oh, _Bae_. Oh, son is it really you? Oh, gods, my beautiful boy." He reached his hand out, somewhat quickly, and rested it on the boy's shoulder before the child backed up, eyes wide and looking alarmed again.

"What do you want? P-please, leave me alone," The boy, said quietly.

The voice of the child was like music to his ears despite the words that came out. It had been so long since he had heard his precious son's voice and he had never forgotten it's sound.

Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened and his tears had finally fallen. _He had touched him._ And the boy was _real._ His son hadn't disappeared to leave him alone again.

"B-Bae, don't you recognize me?" The man said tearfully, the image of an imposing Mr. Gold long gone. _It's your Papa, Bae._

The boy backed himself against the door. "No, no I don't. I don't," The child murmured timidly and stared down at his shoes.

_Why wasn't he.. ?_ Then it hit him. Of course Baelfire wouldn't remember him. Where were they? Storybrooke: the place where people had been ripped from their true homes and given false memories. A place Rumplestiltskin had put into motion for this to all come to be. And now he had subjected his son to this curse as well. Would he ever stop hurting his child?

How was this possible though? Baelfire couldn't have been in the Enchanted Forest when the curse hit. Rumplestiltskin's plan was always to find his son _after_ the curse had broken, never would he have imagined his son to be here and cursed as well.

And here he was as a child as well. In his dreams, Rumplestitlskin would be able to find his son like the boy he had lost. He had tried often not to dwell on the fact that fate couldn't be so kind to allow that to happen.

Yet here the boy was. Rumplestiltskin gulped. Yes, here he was – hidden deep in the woods, looking to be living in an old abandoned house – if it could even be called that. _Gods, his son surely couldn't be living here?_ His eyes told him the truth of the situation but his heart couldn't bear the thought.

Baelfire was still looking at him wearily, unruly bangs hanging in his eyes. "Mr. Gold, right? W-what are you doing here?"

Rumplestiltskin started. "You .. know who I am?" He asked. The boy nodded.

"I, um," _what should I say?_ "I saw you when leaving my shop and I had never seen you in town before. I felt the need to see where you were going," He finished awkwardly. He wasn't sure if he should reveal everything yet.

"You-you don't live here, do you?" Rumplestiltskin asked hesitantly, dreading the answer. Praying to all the gods that there was some explanation for what his eyes were seeing.

Baelfire looked conflicted before nodding at the man, shuffling his feet again and looking around, as if he was expecting the police to be following close behind.

The boy saw how the man seemed to crumple before him at his answer, though he didn't understand why Mr. Gold would be acting this way. He never stayed around the town for very long but he of course knew who Mr. Gold was. Even someone like him. He'd heard the whispers and how everyone was afraid of the man.

Even so, he felt compelled to soothe this man who was practically shaking. "It's not so bad. Uh, don't worry," The boy tried to give a reassuring smile and hoped it would appease Mr. Gold enough to leave.

_Oh, his boy. His sweet, brave Baelfire._ Even now, when the child had no idea who the man was, he was being the stronger of the two and comforting his father. Rumple shook again.

He swallowed, "No, no, no, no. This isn't a home. What's your name?" It had just occurred to him he had no idea what his son went by here.

The boy looked down again before he spoke quietly. "I don't know."

"…What?" Rumplestiltskin was shaken, voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean?"

Baelfire brought a hand up to his head and scrunched his eyes a bit before looking back up at the man. "I mean, I- I can't remember my name, or my parents or how I got here. I just remember always living here. Always," He cast his eyes down – a recurring habit, and bit on his lip.

_Oh, my boy._ The curse couldn't have been so cruel to do this to his son. Had Regina been responsible for his child living on his own in poverty and starving? He would kill her.

Rumplestiltskin's stomach churned and he thought he might be sick. Here he was, dressed in exceptionally fine clothes, warm and fed with no worries of what the next day would hold for his well being. With a good house to go home to and more money than he could ever need.

_'I want comfort. I want a good life.'_ The words he had spoken to Regina came back with full force and haunted him.

For 28 years, Rumplestiltskin had gotten what he wished for and more. While his little boy was all on his own, a boy of fourteen, fending for himself in this town and just trying to survive.

Being disgusted with himself didn't cover half of it. If the man didn't already loathe himself for **all** he had done, this more than made up for it. This was all his fault, and he would **never** forgive himself.

But he was taking control of this situation right now.

"Not anymore you're not," Rumplestiltskin said firmly but gently. Baelfire's eyes shot up in confusion.

"You're coming with me."

"What? I-"

"You're my son, Bae. I'm taking you home," Rumplestiltskin couldn't lie to the boy and pretend he was anything other than his son. It hurt too much already with everything the two had been through. The boy's rightful place was with his father. He was never letting go of his little boy ever again. Never.

Baelfire just stared at him, a million emotions running across his face. The two stayed silent for a while. Finally he spoke. "..Bae?"

Rumplestiltskin smiled softly. "That's your name, son. Baelfire." _'A strong name!'_

The boy was silent again before he shook his head. "This is crazy. I'm nobody and nothing. Certainly not you're son," Bae didn't sound angry just confused.

Pain shot through Rumple's heart at his son's words. Was his son's self-worth that low? "No, don't ever think that. Bae, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. Please, son let me take care of you. I can't let you stay here. This is no condition for a child to be in. Come home, I'll make things right, I- I'm so sorry son, so sorry." Rumplestiltskin felt more tears fall and all he wanted more than anything in that moment was to take his boy in his arms and just hold him.

And he would have earlier if not for the fact that his son seemed so frightened. He would not upset him more for his desires.

"I don't understand. You must have me confused with your son, I'm sorry, sir," The boy was adamant.

"You are my son. My boy," His voice broke and he took a moment to compose himself again. "I'd know you anywhere. I've been looking for you, for so, so long. I know you can't remember, but I am your father. Please believe me," Rumplestiltskin finished desperately.

The young teen looked at the man's tear streaked face and felt conflicting emotions. He couldn't understand how anyone would care about him and here was the most dangerous man in town claiming he was his son; looking at him with longing and such sadness and.. love.

Baelfire knew that Mr. Gold was just seeing what he wanted to see. He never pictured Mr. Gold to be a loving father but just seeing his tears, it was obvious he had loved his missing son very, very much. The boy almost wished he really was this man's son, just so he could feel that love too.

Regardless, Bae was still afraid of what could happen if he did go with this man, despite the benefits. This man was offering him a place to stay and safety. Things like these were not to be taken lightly when all you knew was an abandoned house and the streets.

But what if Mr. Gold had other ideas in mind for him. Bae was still frightened of him..

Rumplestiltskin looked on at his boy's face and noticed the fear in his eyes. Rumple hated seeing his son in such a state. He had no idea what his son had been through and with him not knowing who he was, getting Bae to come with him would be ten times harder. When he was just a father though, the best part of himself, he had never been anything but gentle with his boy and hopefully his son would believe him enough to come with him now and know he would be safe.

"I would never, ever hurt you child," The thought of hurting his Baelfire was inconceivable. "I'll make you a deal though," Rumple winced internally at how the last deal with his son had gone. "Come back with me and I'll make you some supper. I was just on my way home to make some for myself. Then you can wash up and have a nice rest. I promise I'll prove to you tomorrow that I am your father."

Supper? The boy's stomach churned painfully at just the thought. When was the last time he had had a proper meal? Baelfire couldn't remember and if he ever forgot the visible ribs on his stomach would certainly be a remainder.

Maybe it was incredibly unwise to say yes, but Bae didn't have many options. Every day was a struggle and going with this man couldn't be any worse. With Mr. Gold, there was at least a chance of food.

Hesitantly, the boy nodded his head at the offer.

Rumplestiltskin let out a sigh of relief and beamed at the boy. "Good, ok is there anything you wish to bring back?" Bae didn't even bother looking back at the house.

"No, sir," The father winced at his boy calling him sir, wishing desperately that he could here Baelfire call him papa again.

Just as they were about to head to the car, a gust of cold wind shot through and Bae couldn't hide the shiver that racked his small body. The boy's arms went around himself and tried to bring some warmth. As he looked up he noticed that Mr. Gold had hurriedly taken off his expensive overcoat and was approaching him.

"Please, son. Can I put this on you? You'll feel much warmer," It was only a short walk to his car, but his boy was practically freezing and he would be damned if he didn't do something about that.

Bae nodded again, still in awe that this man was caring so much and let him gently put the coat on him. It swamped the boy but he instantly felt much warmer and let out a little content sigh.

Baelfire smiled up at the man, "Thank you, sir."

"It-it's no trouble, son," Rumplestiltskin said tearfully, knowing it was his entire fault Baelfire was in this state to being with. The man didn't know what he ever did to deserve his kind-hearted son. He wanted to ruffle the boy's hair but knew his son would be frightened by the unfamiliar touch.

Rumplestiltskin gestured gently for the boy to follow him and father and son made their way to the car, forever leaving behind the broken down house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a long one ;)

They made it to the car in no more than five minutes. When the pawnbroker had first begun his journey into the forest, it had seemed so much longer than now as the two head back. Truth be told, the clearing to the house was not nearly in the thick of the woods, but the beginning really. Rumplestiltskin must have felt the time stretching due to his impatience in finding out what was going on.

And found out he did.

The man gave another glance back to where his newfound son was still dutifully following him. The boy had been looking at the black Cadillac by the road and soon noticed Rumplestiltskin's attention on him. Embarrassed, he quickly bowed his head again, his cheeks burning a little.

Rumplestiltskin cleared his throat, a painful lump having formed at his boy's continued behavior, and gave a soft smile, "Well, should we head off?"

The man opened the passenger door and Bae meekly got inside and buckled his seatbelt. The boy took in the car as Gold limped his way to the driver's seat and placed his cane in the backseat.

Immediately, Rumplestiltskin's fingers sought out the heater and put it on full blast, hoping his boy would feel no more remains of the bitter cold outside. He then fiddled a bit with the radio, hoping to bring some comfort to the distressed boy who, for all he knew, was in a car with a complete stranger. The man settled on some classical music before turning to his son, unsure.

"I hope you don't mind this station? Or do you have a preference? Don't feel hesitant to change it to whatever pleases you. Ah, we should be to my house in less than ten minutes," He rambled a bit before turning the key and starting the car. As they took off and got onto a main road, the feeling of his feet on the gas pedal and his hands expertly placed on the wheel never ceased to amaze Rumplestiltskin. His fake memories supplied some story of how Mr. Gold had gotten his license and been a good driver, although some might say he was too careful and a tad slow at times. The high technology of this world and the knowledge of how to use it certainly came in handy in times like these. Though he still wasn't sure if he preferred them over the beautifully built carriages he had had back in their land.

When Mr. Gold had asked his preference in music, Bae had sat stunned that this man had even cared for his opinion in something so minute. He just gave a small reply that the music playing softly in the background was fine before turning his gaze back at the window.

He was awfully nervous about being in the car with this man. The boy fiddled with his hands, placed his lap, as he stared at the trees in the distance give way to buildings and streetlights as they went through the town. He felt awkward and scared and so many other things but took a deep breath and tried to just focus on what he was seeing, leaving his thoughts behind.

As the music carried on and they got closer to their destination, Bae felt his eye lids get heavier and heavier. The music was in truth, very peaceful and soothing. And the warmth of the car and Mr. Gold's coat still around him gave him a feeling of comfort that he didn't think he had ever felt. It would very easy to let go of his nerves and allow himself to rest, but he fought to stay awake. He didn't trust falling asleep in the company of Mr. Gold, or anyone really.

With the boy's attention to the window, Rumplestitlskin himself was very distracted during the drive. He tried not to glance too often at Baelfire, not wanting to startle the poor boy, but he really couldn't help himself. Gods, 300 years without his precious son and here he was, right next to him in the car.  _My boy_.

Soon enough, the drive was over and Bae noticed that they were pulling into the driveway of a large, three story, old-fashioned house; the salmon-pink color not going unnoticed by the boy. It was more of a mansion really, properly suited for the richest man in town. At the size of it, the boy absently wondered if Mr. Gold truly lived there all by himself.

Turning the keys, Rumplestiltskin turned to his boy, "Here we are."

Bae looked up at the man from under a fresh fall of dark hair, still swaddled in his coat, "It's very nice, Mr. Gold," And he meant it, truly. It must have been the most beautiful house he had ever seen.

Startled, Rumplestiltskin beamed fondly back at his son, his eyes easily tearing at the unexpected compliment. The house really meant nothing to him; he would trade this extravagant house for his old hobble in an instant to have his Baelfire back with him. Regardless, this huge house was really intended for his son: when getting his wealth from the curse, he had wanted nothing less than the best for his boy to live in. His son had always been such kind-hearted soul though. "Th-thank you, my boy. Ah, let's head inside, shall we?"

Bae followed the older man onto the porch steps and through the double doors, warmth instantly hitting him and shrugged the man's overcoat off, saying his thanks again as he handed back. While Mr. Gold hung his coat up on a rack near the beautifully stained glass doors, the boy took a look at his surroundings.

On his right he noticed a staircase leading up to where he assumed was the next level, another big window placed near. On his left, he could see a big room that looked to be filled with various antique items that must have held high values. Numerous statues and lamps, some old papers and books scattered on tables, and polished wood cases surrounded the room. Huge windows were located by the front of the big room, out looking the street and big trees; a table and numerous chairs were situated nearby.

Baelfire stared at it all, unable to keep his mouth slightly opening, gaping at what his eyes were seeing. He felt very aware of his rags and filthiness and knew how much he did not belong in such a beautiful place like this.

Mr. Gold's voice cut through his dark musings then, and he jumped a little, facing the man again. "How about I show you around a little? Then take you to your room and get you situated?"

The child calmed himself and nodded shyly, dark disheveled bangs falling into his eyes again. Mr. Gold smiled and gently gestured for the boy to follow as he took him through various rooms on the first floor.

After going through comfortable looking living rooms, a big kitchen, an office and other rooms used for storage of objects, possibly for the man's pawnshop, Mr. Gold led him up the stairs onto the second level of the house.

Rumplestiltskin could feel his son's awe as he took him through his mansion of a house. He could understand it truly, as well. When Rumplestiltskin had regained his memories he had stared at his house in wonder. Even though as the Dark One he had lived in the Dark Castle, both "homes" had been more than he could ever imagine the peasant he had been living in.

He led them up the stairs to second floor and took a left. His own room was the last door on the farthest side of the left end of the hall, with his son's chosen room as the one right next to it. The man smiled carefully at his boy as they walked through and allowed him to glance around.

It was a big room, with a nice big bed as well and of course, huge windows on the side. The bed looked to be queen sized and had a simple dark red quilt to match the warm colors of the house that looked expensive; numerous big pillows sat atop. The room itself was fairly empty, with a big closet situated near one side and a big desk on the other. A mirror with a cabinet was close by the door.

 _This is.._ _ **my**_ _room?_ This certainly must be a dream, Bae thought. However, dream or not, he knew this would all come to end soon enough when Mr. Gold finally realized that he was not his real son, and back to the abandoned house he would be.

Glancing at the bed again, he smiled a little. He was so tired, even for just a night it would be wonderful to be able to lie on that bed and sleep his troubles away.

"I hope it's to your liking, son," Mr. Gold's accented voice cut through his musings. "If there's anything you want to change or prefer a different color scheme or anything, just let me know, lad." He walked over to the closet a little and frowned, "We'll fill this up soon, maybe tomorrow, and get some other things in here to make it feel more at home, how does that sound?"

Bae just looked at him stared at him with wide eyes. "I-this is too much, Mr. Gold. It's very, very nice, sir. I certainly wouldn't need anything more," The boy said politely in a quiet voice.

Rumple knew painfully from what his son had been living from that this must be a shock. "You deserve the best of the best, my boy. You won't have to worry about anything anymore. I'll take care of everything," He said firmly. It was every parent's dream to be able to give their child everything they deserved and Rumplestiltskin felt proud he could do that now. He had so much to make up for, and he would do anything to make sure his son was happy and had everything he wanted and more.

"Ah, would you like to wash up as I prepare dinner?" Rumplestiltskin asked gently.

Bae's cheeks flushed with shame at the question. What a mess he must have looked. "Yes, sir, thank you," he replied, looking down at his feet again, a recurring habit.

Rumple's heart shattered at his son's reaction. Oh, his poor boy.  _This is all my fault,_  he thought for the hundredth time since finding Baelfire.

He got closer to his son and hesitantly placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. His son only flinched a little but didn't move away, Rumplestiltskin took that as a good sign.

"Bae, please. Look at me, it's alright." Baelfire hesitantly brought his face up. The boy felt tears well up in his eyes and he felt so stupid in that moment.  _Stop being so weak. Look at you, crying. Pathetic._

" _Oh_ , son. Shh, it's ok. You've done nothing wrong, ok. Everything's all right, this is my fault. All my fault. I'm going to make things right, I promise son, I promise."

Rumplestiltskin was in near tears himself and felt his other hand twitch, wanting to travel up and caress his son's face, noticing the tears in the boy's dark eyes. He desperately wanted to wipe them away and soothe his boy, hold him in his arms and let him know his papa was here. Rumplestiltskin wanted desperately to tell his son just how precious he was, and to not think for a moment in shame of what had happened to him.

With a heavy heart, the man knew he couldn't just yet, his son had really just met him and his emotional state was very delicate. He had to take this slowly, though it pained him immensely.

This man continued to confuse him. Gazing into his eyes, ' _they're just like mine' he realized_ , the child could sense something so gentle and comforting. It didn't make sense though. Everyone knew Mr. Gold was ruthless and cold, not sympathetic in the least. Yet, this man in front of him was someone else entirely.

Bae just nodded again, taking a deep breath, his tears thankfully going away.

Mr. Gold gave a comforting small squeeze on his shoulder before he spoke again, "Let me see if I have some clean clothes for you. Feel free to make yourself comfortable, my boy." The man smiled fondly at him again before disappearing into the hall.

Bae blew out a breath before glancing at the bed again. He wanted to sit, but stopped himself. His stubborn manners would not allow the lavish quilt and sheets to be soiled by his dirty clothing.

Rumplestiltskin limped into his own room and sought a specific drawer of his big, wooden cabinet. With careful hands, his fingers reached out and brushed the soft and worn fabric of clothing much smaller than his own; a tan tunic and dark trousers. His son's clothing, made by Rumple himself. Rumplestiltskin only had a couple shirts and pants that had belonged to his son from their homeland and he treasured them immensely. His hands lovingly stroked the worn fabric before he sighed and closed the drawer.

He realized he couldn't give his son these clothes to wear despite them being his own and therefore fitting him perfectly. The type of clothing would certainly confuse the boy.

He opened up another drawer and decided on a simple white t-shirt and some comfortable black sweatpants, usually used for sleepwear. They were his own, and he knew they would be big on his son, but they would also be comfortable.

Coming back into the room, Rumplestiltskin noted that Baelfire was still standing where he had left him, looking up politely as he entered.

"I hope these are alright. They're mine and they'll be a bit big. I'll wash the clothes you have on now and get those all nice and clean for tomorrow." Rumplestiltskin said, placing the shirt and pants on the bed.

"Those are fine, thank you Mr. Gold."

Rumple smiled again at his boy, still in awe Baelfire was here right now, in the room Rumplestiltskin had dreamed his son could be.

Suddenly, he had just remembered something he had been meaning to ask his son. "You're welcome, son. I-Is it all right if I call you Bae… even son? I-I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." The man was all stutters.

The caring question surprised the boy. "No, it's alright. I've never had a name. I like Bae," The boy smiled a little and Mr. Gold's own beaming smile didn't go unnoticed, "And… son as well," Truthfully, Bae wasn't exactly sure how to feel about Mr. Gold referring to him as "son", but he didn't have the heart to deny the man that.

Rumplestiltskin's heart swelled to bursting. "I'm glad you like it, son. And thank you."

The pawnbroker then showed Bae to where his polished bathroom was close by, numerous sizes of towels easily accessible before turning the shower on a warm heat setting.

"Ah, just leave your clothes by the door and I'll pick those up for you. If you need anything I'll just be downstairs in the kitchen. And feel free to either stay in your room or come down when you're done," Bae nodded his thanks and Mr. Gold left to start dinner downstairs.

* * *

_This must be heaven_ , Bae thought as he stood in the warm water and allowed his eyes to close, enjoying the heat. He couldn't remember the last time he had properly cleaned himself, so scrubbing himself of the filth took a little long, but Bae didn't really mind.

When he brought the soaped cloth over his skinny stomach, he winced a little as it touched a bad bruised spot. His fingers brushed the spot gingerly; hoping as he always did that no ribs had been broken. He yelped slightly at the hard sting of pain his touch had brought. The boy had numerous cuts and scrapes on his arms and spots of bruises too, none of them as badly as that spot though.

After rinsing his hair clean, the boy reluctantly turned the water off and quickly dried and dressed himself in the clothes Mr. Gold had left him. The shirt hung off him quite a bit and was quite long as well. Although Mr. Gold was not a very tall man for sure, the pant legs were still long on the boy and the ends gathered on the floor. Luckily for the waist, there were drawstrings and he could pull them tight to ensure the pants would stay on.

Sighing, the young teen walked over to where a comb sat on the bathroom counter. Glancing at himself in the rounded mirror, he noted his long wet hair was matted down still with thick knots; the curls easily tangled. Bae sighed again and began on his task.  _This is gonna take a while_ , he thought glumly.

* * *

As Baelfire washed up upstairs, Rumplestitlskin set about in the kitchen deciding what to make for dinner. The man knew his son was in a state of malnutrition but wasn't sure exactly how bad it was. He decided on a quick stew, something good and filling, a special kind that Rumple had always made for Baelfire back in their home world, so, so long ago. Rumplestitlskin wasn't sure if he was the best cook, but his son's eyes had always lit up especially at the stew he was preparing now.

Supper being nicely prepared, Rumplestiltskin picked up the phone and made the call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Whale for the next day. The doctor was certainly surprised by the call but Rumplestiltskin made sure to stop the man before he could even utter his questions. He set up an appointment at 10:00 am the next morning for Baelfire to be properly checked out and then to have the DNA test done – to prove to the boy he truly was his father.

Just as Rumplestiltskin was setting out plates and utensils on the big dinning table, he saw his son coming through the doorway to the grand kitchen.

The man put the final utensil down and looked up, "Hey," he greeted softly. Rumplestitlskin quickly gave the boy a quick inspection, noting that the boy's face was clean of any dirt and grim. His son's hair, still a little damp, was no longer full of tangles; the familiar floofy dark waves looking soft and clean, cascading gently down the boy's face, his bangs still hanging down near his eyes. It also didn't go unnoticed to the father that his clothes were indeed big on his son, as he predicted, but he hoped they were at least comfortable. And if Rumplestiltskin had to admit, Baelfire made a pretty adorable sight dressed in his papa's clothing.

Overall, the boy looked much more like he should. Until his eyes caught sight of the boy's arms.

"Bae! What happened to your arms, son?" Rumplestiltskin limped closer and couldn't help but take the skinny pale arms and gently inspect them, which had various angry, red looking cuts and small bruises.

Bae inwardly curse. He should have realized that without his usual long sleeved shirt, his scrapes would now be noticeable. "Uh, it's n-nothing, Mr. Gold. Really, I'm just clumsy."

Rumplestiltskin didn't believe that for one second. If someone had been hurting his son…his face grew dark for a moment.

He took a deep breath, trying to qualm his anger and not frighten Baelfire. "Does it hurt badly?" Rumplestiltskin asked gently. He wished he had his magic of healing again and was able to take away his son's pain with a simple touch of his hands.

Bae was a little startled at the touch and Mr. Gold seemed to notice after his question. He let go of the boy's arms, and Bae calmed himself to remember the man's question. "No, they're fine and pretty old anyway." The boy tried to blow off Mr. Gold's concern. It wasn't exactly a lie, compared to the bad bruise on his stomach; the cuts didn't hurt nearly as much.

Rumplestiltskin reluctantly let it go, but was still pained to see the marks on his child's skin. He would keep a close eye, but tomorrow he would let Whale know about them and see to it that they were healing okay.

"If you're sure, my boy… Well, ah, let me check on supper," Rumple led Bae over to a seat at the polished wood table before checking on the stew.

Bae sat at the table watching Mr. Gold get everything ready, observing that he had taken off his outer layers of his professional three-piece suit and had just left a dark blue dress shirt on and his black pants. He looked strangely homely Bae thought, as he went about ladling the food out of a big pot and putting it into bowls.

The smell of the food hit the boy as Mr. Gold placed his in front of him. It smelled wonderful and Bae's stomach churned.

"I made us some stew, a special recipe of mine," Mr. Gold almost winked at him. "I hope that's alright? If you don't like it, I can make something else."

"It smells great, sir, thank you," Bae smiled gratefully at the man and waited for Mr. Gold to get his own bowl and take the seat across from him.

Rumplestitlskin seemed to realize that Bae was waiting for him to start eating, so he tried to act nonchalant and eat his bowl to make the boy feel comfortable.

Bae carefully watched Mr. Gold start eating before picking up his spoon and starting his own stew. His first instincts were to devour the food as he was so hungry, but his manners wouldn't allow it.

"How is it?" Mr. Gold asked after a couple minutes.

"It's the best stew I've ever had, Mr. Gold," The boy said, though he couldn't remember the last time he was able to have stew, he was sure what he had said was true.

Mr. Gold beamed, a twinkle in his eye. "I'm glad, my boy, thank you."

* * *

The rest of the dinner had gone considerably well. Bae had felt his hunger return to him at the start of the meal, but near the end of his bowl he felt almost a little sick.

"Are you sure you're full? Would you like anything else?" Rumplestiltskin asked. He wished the boy would eat more. At least he had almost finished the whole bowl.

Bae shook his head, his hands going to his stomach. "Yes, I'm good. I don't think I could eat any more."

Rumplestiltskin then cleared the dishes and Bae had offered to help him wash them. Rumple smiled tearfully at the gesture, remembering how willing Bae had always been to help his father with anything. His sweet boy was really here with him, even if he couldn't remember who he truly was; Baelfire was still here.

The man explained that he was just going to rinse them and then put them in the dishwasher, but thanked the boy for his very kind offer.

Even though it was still relatively early, Rumplestitlskin knew that his son needed some good rest, and suggested that they both head to bed.

They said their polite goodnights to each other and Rumplestiltskin made his way into his own room. He changed into the pajamas that Mr. Gold had always wore, and rested himself on the bed for about five minutes before he got up. Frustrated, he paced as well as he could with his limp anxiously around the room.

Meanwhile, Bae had quickly turned off the lights and wrapped the wonderful and warm bed sheets around him, sighing contentedly. It had been such a bizarre day, but he was too tired to think over everything that had happened. He could faintly smell some type of fragrance in the air that was vaguely familiar when he realized it was Mr. Gold's clothes. Surprisingly, the smell was pleasant and comforting to him. His final thoughts before drifting off to sleep were the hope that he would be too tired for his frequent nightmares to plague him tonight.

It had been about thirty minutes since Rumplestiltskin had bid Bae goodnight, but he yearned to make sure his boy was still there, that he was all right. He still couldn't believe he had finally been reunited with his precious son after centuries.  _Centuries._

After pacing for about another fifteen minutes, Rumple decided he couldn't wait any longer and quietly limped into the hallway. He listened to the door nearest his, trying to hear if Bae would still be awake or not; he didn't hear anything.

Luckily, the boy had left the door creaked a little, so getting in made next to no noise. Once inside, Rumplestiltskin gazed at the bed, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness of the room, made a little lighter from a bit of moonlight creeping in through the windows. When he spotted his child, his eyes grew soft and he felt a strong pang in his heart.

Baelfire was curled up on the left side of the bed facing the windows, fast asleep, looking to all the world like a little angel to his father. He appeared very small and fragile in the big bed, with the covers snuggled around him.

Rumple noticed a chair near the side of the room and brought it closer to the bed, resting his cane on the ground.

Settling himself down in the chair and facing his son, it all hit Rumplestiltskin again. After  _300_ years of pain and longing, his beloved son was here.  _Here._ The most precious and beautiful person in his life.

The man gazed at his son's face, memorizing every detail again, a loving smile on his face. Looking at his son, he knew none of the numerous drawings he had made of Baelfire over the centuries could compare to what he was seeing now. They all paled in comparison to its live counterpart.

Hesitantly, Rumplestiltskin reached out a shaking hand above his son's head, wanting to smooth back the wavy dark curls, but was worried that his touch might wake the poor boy up. Finally, he gained some courage and rested his hand atop his son's head, eyes darting back to his son's face to see if the boy had sensed anything.

Baelfire, however, remained peacefully unaware of his father's presence and continued to be in a deep sleep.

Smiling softly, Rumplestiltskin moved some of his son's soft dark hair back, whispering quietly to him. "Oh, my sweet boy, my beautiful little boy," Tears started streaming down his cheeks. "I love you so much, Bae. So much," His breathing hitched with his cries.

"I'm here now, Bae,"  _You should have always been._ "Papa's here. It's going to be alright now."

After a few minutes, left hand still resting on Bae's head, he moved his other hand and gently began caressing his son's face. He traced the boy's soft cheek lightly with his thumb for a while.

Everything in this moment was perfect; the man felt as though he could breathe again. He was finally reunited with his child who was safe under his secure hands.

However, Rumplestiltskin frowned slightly when his other hand brushed against Bae's forehead when carding his fingers through the boy's long hair. Frowning, he placed the back of his hand against Baelfire's forehead, feeling some warmth come from it. He looked down at Bae's face and tried to detect any signs of pain, but the boy's face remained peaceful, almost a smile on his face.

Rumplestiltskin let out a breath and tried to calm himself. Bae would be fine;  _everything_  was going to be fine. Just to be sure, he decided to stay and watch over his son for the night, not really caring one bit whether he got much sleep at all.

 _I'm a father again_ , Rumplestiltskin thought with a wide grin as he continued to gaze fondly at his beautiful boy. The best part of himself had always been when he was a father to his Baelfire, and his heart was practically bursting that he was getting a second chance.

" _My boy. My beautiful Baelfire."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! Wow, almost two months. Ugh, I’m really sorry about the longer wait - I wanted to get this chapter out a lot sooner, but was busy with school and work :( Sorry about that! Hopefully a long chapter will make up for that? ;)
> 
> Also, I do not presume to have much medical knowledge or know how to treat people, so please forgive me on that.

" _Papa! Papa!" A little boy, no older than five, was running across a yard in a small, meek village, as fast as his little legs could carry him, dark curls bouncing wildly._

_Rumplestiltskin was out handling the animals of his home when he heard the call._

" _Baelfire," The man's entire face lit up at the sight of his little one. "Easy, son," He didn't want the boy to hurt himself in his rush._

_Bae reached Rumplestiltskin near the animal pen and wrapped his arms around his father's good leg. "Papa," the small boy's voice was muffled; his face pressed into Rumplestiltskin's pant leg._

_The spinner smiled warmly at his son's affection and reciprocated the hug by lifting his baby boy up into his arms, holding him close. Despite his bad leg, Baelfire's weight was still very light and not a bother. The lad was small for his age, gotten most likely from his papa, and was usually mistaken for being around three._

_Rumplestiltskin laid a weathered hand on his son's soft mass of hair and stroked it gently. "My Bae," He kissed the boy's head. "Are you alright, son?"_

_Baelfire snuggled close to Rumplestitlskin and held on tight, laying his head on the man's shoulder. "M'fine, Papa," He looked up at his father after a time with a smile. "I missed you."_

_The man's heart warmed. Rumplestiltskin touched his nose to Baelfire's own and kissed his forehead tenderly. "And I missed you, my boy."_

_Bae giggled and leaned forward to give his father a couple of kisses on the cheek. He laid his head back down on the spinner's shoulder, playing with Rumplestiltskin's long, light brown hair in his tiny fingers while his father began to lightly rock him a little._

" _Finished playing with your friends already?" Rumplestiltskin asked._

_Baelfire gripped him a little tighter at the question. "Yes, Papa. I wanna help you today."_

_Rumplestiltskin pulled his son back and looked at the little boy. "Are you sure, Bae? You don't have to help me, son. Go and play," He ruffled Baelfire's beloved dark brown curls. His son was still such a little boy; he wanted him to keep enjoying these innocent days of childhood when he could play to his heart's content._

_Bae smiled and patted his father's cheek, something the spinner's wee lad had been doing since he was a babe. "I wanna help! Working with you is fun, Papa!"_

_Rumplestiltskin smiled fondly down at his sweet and adorable boy. "My good boy. How is it that I got such a hard working little boy, hm?" He set Bae down while giving him some tickles._

" _Papa! Papa!" Baelfire giggled happily and stepped onto the tip of his toes, small fingers trying to tickle the sides of his father. Both father and son were breathless from laughter._

" _I love you, Papa," The child had gripped the man's good leg again and was snuggling it in a hug._

_The spinner's eyes watered. "Oh… and I love you, my Baelfire," He knelt down to kiss the boy's head of hair and wrapped an arm around him close, stroking his locks with his other arm. "Very, very much."_

Rumplestiltskin jerked awake with a start. The sound of the timer on his watch invaded his senses and snapped the man from his stupor. He quickly shut the noise off and took in a big breath, eyes narrowed in deep thought.

He could still hear Baelfire's childish and angelic laughter from the dream. No, not a dream –  _a memory_. Rumplestiltskin remembered how happy he had been, holding his son in his arms, as though he were just a babe.

He often dreamed of his old life when his memories had returned, but they were not dreams to be remembered; they were nightmares. Every night it seemed, he would be back with Baelfire as he had promised his boy. And every night he broke his promises as his child slipped from his fingers and all he could hear were Bae's broken cries, piercing his soul and heart forever.  _Papa,_ _ **please!**_

Breathing deeply again, he began to panic. What if all that had happened truly had been a dream? A sick, twisted dream born from all his mistakes to further torture him; after all, it wouldn't be anything he didn't deserve.

However, as his eyes adjusted more to the lighting of the room, with peeks of sunlight creeping through the curtains, his felt the weight of something and the pawn dealer looked down.

His left hand still rested atop his boy's dark head of hair, familiar curls loose and soft with calloused and older hands guarding the boy protectively.

_My boy. My precious, beautiful boy._

The physical touch from father to son was enough to staunch his panic. Baelfire really was here with him. It was a blessing he didn't deserve after all the pain he had inflicted but one he wouldn't dare waste or ever give up.

Bae still slept soundly, so with one more gentle caress to his son's hair, a soft and loving smile on his face, Rumplestiltskin went about getting himself ready for the day. He took a quick shower and dressed himself in his usual attire, though toned down his cured self's expensive three piece suits and jacket for something simpler: a dark blue dress shirt and a simple black tie. His goal was to tone down his image of the intimidating pawn dealer to his son. He knew Baelfire must be intimated and fearful of him and that thought only filled him with the deepest sense of guilt and disgust.

Dressing done, Rumplestiltskin made his way to his vast kitchen and set about making breakfast. He made a bit of everything – eggs, bacon, pancakes and even set aside some oatmeal mix – something similar to the porridge Bae and him would usually have for breakfast back in the Enchanted Forest.

Smiling a little at the spread on the table, the pawnbroker limped back upstairs to see if Bae was awake yet. It was nearly nine and he wanted to be sure his son had enough time to eat a good breakfast before they went to the doctor's.

Rumplestiltskin had left Baelfire's door cracked and little, and knocked softly on the door. "Bae?"

No response.

The father creaked the door a little more to peer inside and saw that his little boy was still sound asleep. Rumplestiltskin hated to interrupt his boy's rest, but knew it would be good to get some more food in him regardless of the appointment.

Limping into the room, Rumple came to where he had left the chair he had fallen asleep in and sat himself down. Smiling down at his child's face he wondered how he should go about waking the lad.

He settled for trying to call to him from his sleep, "Bae? Bae, son. I'm afraid it's time to wake up, my boy," Rumplestiltskin said gently, almost whispering so as to not alarm the boy.

Baelfire gave a slight noise of discontent and sighed a little, trying to snuggle into his pillow more, his long soft bangs getting disheveled in the process.

Rumplestiltskin gave a soft sigh himself, feeling horrible again for disrupting his son. The poor boy clearly never got much rest, especially not on any kind of comfortable bed. The thought made the his hands clench in immediate anger and he had to remind himself that now was not the time to focus on such things. Just one stray thought to where he had found his boy and the condition he was in made Rumplestiltskin want to smash anything he could find just to vent out his anger and heartbreak.

Looking back down at Bae immediately soothed those feelings. His heart warmed till it might burst and the wonderful feeling of the love he felt for his little boy filled his being. Baelfire had always had such a calming affect on Rumplestiltskin.

Reaching out, Rumplestiltskin smoothed out the dark bangs from Bae's face and tried to rouse him again gently. "Baelfire, son."

The touch seemed to do the trick. Bae sighed again and started opening his eyes slowly. Blinking, the boy looked up sleepily at Mr. Gold smiling fondly down at him – and shot up out of the bed immediately, backing up against the headboard.

Rumplestiltskin brought his hand back as though burned and stood away from the chair, holding his hands up in a non-threatening manner. Gods, how could he have been so careless. Had all his senses left him?

"I'm so sorry.  _Please_ , Bae. It's all right," Rumplestiltskin said, hushed voice cracking. The boy still looked up at him with big, frightened eyes. Rumplestiltskin couldn't stand seeing his child look at him in fear, his heart shattering. "I was just trying to wake you up, son. You're safe."

Taking a few more breaths and looking around the room, Bae seemed to calm down some and recognized where he was. He bowed his head owlishly and nodded as he remembered everything that had happened the day before.

"Ah, did you sleep alright?" Rumple asked, despite knowing already the answer himself.

Bad nodded meekly, actually surprised himself that he had slept so well – he couldn't remember the last time he had slept for so long and so easily.

Mr. Gold smiled brightly. "I'm very glad, my boy. I, ah, prepared some breakfast downstairs. Why don't you get dressed and meet me in the kitchen when you're ready." He showed Bae the clothes that he had worn yesterday – all washed and acceptable to wear save for the tears and holes that unfortunately remained. He would have to get his boy some new clothes as soon as possible; maybe they could do some of that today after the doctor visit.

After Mr. Gold departed downstairs, Bae gingerly put his usual baggy, long-sleeved shirt and worn jeans on, thinking over how bizarre everything was. He couldn't believe that he was really here, with  _Mr. Gold_ , living in his house. Not to mention that the most powerful and feared man in Storybrooke believed that he, a lone orphan on the streets, was his son.

Shaking his head, he placed back the bed sheets and comforter, tidying the pillows back in place and making sure the bed was nice and neat again. Then he placed the clothes Mr. Gold had given him to wear for the night on the bed in a neat pile and made his way over to where there was a dresser and a mirror on the wall.

He frowned a little at his appearance in the mirror, almost not recognizing himself. His hair was, as usual, mused and disheveled from his long sleep, floofed up to an impressive height. However, instead of his long hair being matted with curls and dirt, it gleamed and was soft to the touch. His fingers slowly came up to run through his curls, in awe at how nice and sleek they felt. His face was also clean and clear of any dirt or grim, allowing him to see more of his unblemished and soft pale skin to show through.

The rest of the young boy was still the same. His face, despite the cleanliness, was still on the thin side, the cheeks slightly hallowed. His skinny arms and stomach the worst of it all. He gingerly fingered his ribs and still felt them easily despite the big meal he had had last night. And of course, when he had changed into his everyday clothes he had not failed to see his big, dark bruise coloring over his ribs, or felt the pain there either.

Pushing his thoughts away from that, Bae knew Mr. Gold was waiting for him. He would be lying if he said he wasn't still scared of Mr. Gold. Even though the man had been nothing but kind to him, he couldn't help but always be on alert around him and easily startled.

After he had brushed through his hair well enough until the curls were smoothed, he finally resigned himself to make his way downstairs. He padded lightly down the stairs, looking around the house and still taking in certain exquisite details as he went.

Remembering the way to the kitchen, he was instantly hit with the smell of food as he walked through the hallway. His stomach grumbled, and he found he was ravenous again despite eating more food last night than he ever remembered having.

Entering the big kitchen, Bae found Mr. Gold turned away from him doing something over by the counter, obviously not having heard the boy's light footsteps. However, Bae's eyes were on the table and more importantly, the feast laid out before it.

Two plates were set with a variety of the food Mr. Gold had prepared. Both had a fair share of eggs, bacon, pancakes and various fruits. One of the plates had a more generous helping than the other that Bae assumed must be meant for the older man. Amongst the food on the plates, a huge platter of the pancakes rested a fine large plate that must be fine china. Baskets of fresh bed and a big bowl of fruit were also on the table with a couple of pitchers with what Bae assumed must hold different liquids to drink.

As he took it all in, Mr. Gold finally noticed his presence with a start as he turned around. "Bae," He smiled warmly. "Good morning, lad," He eyes twinkled.

Bae nodded shyly back at him and murmured out a quiet, "Good morning, Mr. Gold."

"Please, go ahead and eat as much as you like, my boy." He limped to the table and pointed to the seat with the plate that had the bigger portion of food. "That one is yours, Bae."

Bae turned big dark brown eyes, mirroring his father's, on Rumplestiltskin, confused.

Rumplestiltskin would have laid a comforting hand on his son's shoulder if he could, "You need the food much more than I do, son. A nice, big breakfast will do you good." Baelfire bit his lip, and simply nodded and sat at the table. Mr. Gold poured him some juice and the two began to eat.

They ate mostly in silence again, with Mr. Gold occasionally asking if the food was all right and reminding him of the appointment he had set up over the deal they had made the day before. Bae ate politely, and was thankful that his need to scarf down the food in front of him had lessoned since the night before. Everything was more delicious than he could put into words and he savored every bite.

Soon enough, the time came for the plates to be cleared and for the two to head on their way to the local hospital. As Bae waited to leave, Mr. Gold excused himself to get their coats and came back from the closet with two overcoats. He apologized to Bae that he didn't have any coat of his size, but Bae smiled and said it was more than fine. He didn't really mind that the overcoat was much bigger and not exactly the right look with how thin and small he was, but it kept him more than warm and it was nice and comfortable.

* * *

The weather outside was as best as could be expected in the cursed town of Storybrooke: a mild cloudy day with the sun occasionally peaking through.

As they drove off in Mr. Gold's Cadillac, Bae started to feel more and more nervous. He was starting to regret agreeing to the older man's terms, despite all that he had gained from the deal so far. The boy generally stayed away from the officials of the town, and certainly at the hospital there would be many important adults. Once the pawn dealer realized Bae was nothing to him, he would be handed over to the police, surely. He might even be arrested for all the stealing he had done – though every time the young teen had done so, he had only done it for food and other essential items. And every time he had stolen, he had felt so terribly for it; even more miserable than usual. But, that was how his life had always been. Sometimes he wondered if it would be better to just not bother with stealing and thus surviving. Many a times, Bae would wake up in the morning in his broken, abandoned little house and not have the energy to rise.

Something in him always got the sad boy going. Some kind of.. fire within him, refused to give up, no matter how much he wanted to at times. Bae supposed he was just too stubborn to forever give up that way.

Still, he was terribly frightened at what they would do to him. They would either arrest him or place him in some foster home, or maybe even worse. Suddenly, he wished he was back in his little run-down cottage. It wasn't much, but it had always been home to him and all he had ever known; he had been safe from people who could harm him.

He felt suddenly nauseous and hot. The boy occasionally leaned his head on the window and felt a slight release from the heat that had generated from his forehead.  _What had he gotten himself into?_

Stuck in his dark musings, Bae hardly realized that they had reached their destination and Mr. Gold was pulling into the parking lot. On the way there, Rumplestiltskin had focused on driving for the most part; Baelfire had turned his face away and had been looking out the window. Shutting the car down, Rumplestiltskin turned to his boy, "Here we are, lad."

Bae glanced up at Mr. Gold's voice, struck still by how warm the older man sounded. He was smiling calmly and reassuringly at him, as though sensing the boy's discomfort.

"Please, don't worry, my boy. Everything will be fine. You'll see," Rumplestiltskin wished to soothe his precious boy further, but sadly knew his son only saw him as the fearsome Mr. Gold and had no cause to trust him.

Nodding, Bae unbuckled himself and got out of the car while Mr. Gold did the same, grabbing his cane and swiftly locking the car doors. Bae waited for Mr. Gold to lead the way and stared at the building in front of him. He had seen it on a few occasions when he went on his daily raids, but of course had never entered it. Since it was still fairly early, not too many people were outside the building and even less cars were gathered in the parking lot. Bae bit his lip again in habit as he continued gazing at the building, trying to staunch his fear.

Mr. Gold came upon him that moment, noticing the boy's stare. "Don't be frightened, Bae. I'll never let anything happen to you," The man spoke with such sincerity that Bae found himself almost believing the words.

"I'm not afraid," Bae lied quietly, head turned down but eyes staring into Mr. Gold's surprisingly kind ones. Maybe if he said the words, he would feel them too.

Mr. Gold gave another warm and gentle smile, eyes twinkling again. "No. You're my brave boy," He suddenly looked as though he would almost weep, but took in a breath of air and turned back to him with a calm and cheerful smile. "Shall we go in?"

The boy nodded, albeit hesitantly, and forced his feat to walk beside Mr. Gold, not needing to slow his pace down to the older man's due to him dreading going any farther. Bae wrung his hands together, them becoming sweaty, and brushed his long, floofy bangs away from his eyes as they entered the hospital through the automatic doors that made a slight swish noise.

The smell of the place was the first thing that hit Bae. It invaded his senses and though it was not an unpleasant smell, it was certainly distinctive. The aroma of antiseptic filled the cool main room with the air conditioning clearly running. Everything was white except for the walls, which were a light blue color. The reception desk was on the left side of the entrance room with a sitting area close by on the right with a TV running in the background.

Mr. Gold gestured for Bae to sit on one of the chairs closest nearby, "I'll only be a little while, Bae. Make yourself comfortable, son." The man watched Bae take his seat and then limped over to the counter, occasionally peeking back at the boy when the receptionist was busy.

As he waited, the young boy leaned back and just let the cool air hit him; it felt good on his warm face. He unbuttoned his coat as well, as his body was starting to feel a bit warm too, and stared idly at the TV that was showing some daily news program. Bae was happy that the he was the only one in the sitting area – he was sure he was already sticking out like a sore thumb. Even with his clothes and body clean, Bae knew he must have made an odd sight. Besides, a lot of different, strange people easily made the boy nervous, and he was already nervous enough as it was.

* * *

"Hello, how can I help you, sir?" A young brunette receptionist asked from the front desk. She immediately knew who this man was; Mr. Gold, the man who practically owned Storybrooke. Also easily recognizable from the way he always dressed smartly in his expensive suits. Today, she noticed his outfit was a bit more casual, long light brown hair falling nicely to his neck. If she was honest, she was quite nervous in his presence, and who wouldn't be? Luckily, Dr. Whale had tipped her off the other day before she ended her shift saying that Mr. Gold would be stopping by the next morning with an appointment.

"Yes, I have an appointment at ten o'clock sharp for my son," Mr. Gold's accented voice spoke clearly and straight to the point.

At first, the woman was quite surprised. Mr. Gold had a..  _son_? Dr. Whale had certainly not mentioned that; she had assumed the appointment was just for the man himself. Which, in itself was quite odd because she couldn't remember Mr. Gold ever coming in for any sort of checkup. Still, she didn't want to anger Mr. Gold with her questions and carried on as if everything were perfectly normal.

"Of course, ah let me just check everything," The woman quickly found what she was looking for on the computer and put some paperwork together on a clipboard, handing it to Gold. "Just fill out these forms please, Mr. Gold, and the nurse should be with you soon. You can hand the finished forms to her."

"Thank you," Rumplestiltskin nodded curtly at her, and headed back to where his son was sitting patiently.

He settled on the chair next to his boy, who watched him approach. "Everything all right, lad?"

Bae gave the man a half-reassuring smile, "Yes, I'm okay, Mr. Gold."

Mr. Gold nodded back kindly at him, "Good, my boy, good. The nurse should be with us soon."

True to his word, a slightly plump, and older nurse with graying, short hair came through the hallway within less than ten minutes. By then, Rumplestiltskin had filled out all the papers – most of it having to do with Bae and information concerning his current health state. He had frowned while filling it, for he knew the state that his son was in was not good; it worried the father greatly. Rumplestiltskin also found it hard to fill out some of the questions, for he had no idea what had happened to his son for many, many years. He assumed that Baelfire had not received any of the up to date shots that many people in this land, including himself, had gotten.

Perhaps, because Bae had been cursed too, he had also received real shots from his fake past. Rumple was uncertain though, and wrote down just as much.

Seeing in paper just how much the spinner no longer knew about his own son, made him furious with himself and truly heartbroken.  _Baelfire, my precious and dear boy, how I have failed you._

He had to be strong now though, for Rumplestiltskin knew how startled his Baelfire was by being here. He wished he didn't have to take Bae here and could heal him all himself, but there was no other way.

"Mr. Gold?" The nurse asked.

Rumplestiltskin nodded at her, and he gave Bae another reassuring smile, "Bae? Ready, son?"

Bae continued biting his lip and raised his eyes from Mr. Gold to the nurse that waited for them at the end of the room. She seemed nice enough; she wouldn't want to hurt him. But he rose shakily to his feet, breathing quickly when suddenly he felt a firm yet gentle hand on his shoulder; it strangely felt familiar.

However, the boy's first instinct was to jerk back, but Mr. Gold's voice soon came after and calmed him, "Shh, it's all right, Bae, shh my sweet boy. Don't be scared. I promise no harm will come to you. Everything will be all right."

The words and the hand on his shoulder were so comforting, Bae found himself instantly calmed. Nobody had ever spoken to Bae the way Mr. Gold always seemed too. In fact, after he had calmed and the pawnbroker was reassured he was fine; Bae found he missed Mr. Gold's hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Before doing anything else, Gold ordered, as politely he could, that the nurse give Bae a thorough examination. The woman, not too offended by the man for she dealt with concerned parents often, merely nodded and said an examination would of course be done first for the boy.

The nurse introduced herself sweetly as Ms. Hull and led the pair to the children's section of the hospital. Before they could go in the room Bae was assigned too, the nurse led them to a stop by a scale situated near the room.

"Alright, sweetie, I just need to take your measurements. See what your weight and height are, okay?" The older woman must have sensed the boy's nerves, and for that Rumplestiltskin was grateful. She spoke to Bae in a calm and sweet manner.

The dark haired boy did as he was told and took his worn shoes off and handed his overcoat back to Mr. Gold. He stepped gingerly onto the scale and waited with baited breath till the calculated numbers appeared on the screen. Bae looked down the entire time, not really wanting to see what the scale would say.

Ms. Hull wrote down the number, frowning slightly, and then guided Bae over to where she would measure his height.

After that was done, the kind woman told Bae he could put his shoes back on and lead the boy and Mr. Gold into the where he was to be further examined.

The nurse closed the door to the room gently and grabbed the paperwork from Gold. As she made her way over to the counter, she glanced at Bae and said, "Just take a seat up there for me, hun."

Bae looked at the long, reclined chair in the middle of the room the woman was referring to. It wasn't too high up, so he pushed himself up on it and waited for what else was going to happen, his legs dangling from the chair.

Rumplestiltskin stood not too far away and watched over Bae intently. The nurse poked her head up as she finished looking over the paperwork, "Mr. Gold?"

He peeled his eyes away from his son and back to the older nurse. He limped over to her gesture to come nearer.

"Would you like to sit in the waiting room while I finish up the checkup?" She whispered not unkindly.

Rumplestiltskin's face grew stern.  _I'll not be parted from him again_.

"No, I'd much prefer to stay here. I'm his father and will be here to ensure he doesn't feel uncomfortable. He's… been through an ordeal," He said coolly.

The woman would have been offended, but she could easily see Mr. Gold's harsh demeanor was just protectiveness for the boy. Although she had never interacted with Mr. Gold personally, it was.. interesting and quite endearing for her to see him behave like this. He obviously cared immensely for his son.

She simply assured him that was fine and then turned to the boy still sitting on the chair quietly. Ms. Hull glanced back down on the paperwork file, "Okay, Bae. I'm just going to do a standard check up on you now. Nothing to worry about."

Bae nodded up her, for she seemed like a nice woman and he was less frightened now. The woman performed a couple simple tests, one that included putting some type of object into his ear.

At first, the boy was startled and pulled his head away from her when she went near him, looking up at her with big eyes.

"Oh, honey, I'm just going to check your temperature, that's all," The nurse felt awfully bad for scaring the child.

Mr. Gold spoke up softly from where he stood a little away, "It won't hurt son, I promise."

It wasn't so much that Bae felt the object would hurt him, but he disliked being touched and prodded.

After the older woman had shot off the end parts that had went into Bae's ears into a hole on the counter that lead to a garbage, she took a moment to write down the temperature on her checkup list.

However, nurse Hull frowned a little and looked back up at Bae and Mr. Gold, "Are you feeling okay right now, Bae?" She came closer to where the small and thin boy was sitting.

Bae was startled. Did he feel okay? Emotionally he felt all right, but physically, now that he thought about it, he didn't actually feel all that good. Once again, he could suddenly feel the warmth on his face, and he raised a hand to it.

"I feel a little warm, I guess."

Rumplestiltskin stepped closer in alarm, "You do?" Worriedly, he suddenly remembered feeling the slight heat on his son's forehead the other night.

The nurse gave a sympathetic look. "I'm afraid you have a fever, dear. Your temperature is 100.3, that's why your face feels a tad unpleasant. Do you feel anything else not right?"

Bae practically felt Mr. Gold fretting beside him. "Um, well, I do feel tired still, even though I slept a lot, and my stomach hurts a little," he wrapped his right arm around the ache that he realized had been forming since they left the house.

Rumplestiltskin's face was grave with concern, "Oh, Bae. I should have known," The man was angry with himself. He shouldn't have ignored his gut feeling last night. Now his poor boy was sick on top of everything else.

Rumple looked from Baelfire to the nurse, "I want him treated immediately," he said sharply.

The poor old woman was a bit startled. Here was the Mr. Gold she had heard people speak with fear of. And quite frankly, she was feeling that fear right now herself.

"I-no immediate treatment from here is necessary, Mr. Gold, I assure you. His fever is still on the low side and in no way in the danger zone. I'll prescribe some ibuprofen for him," She said as calmly as she could.

Rumplestiltskin felt his anger melt away a little.

"Just make sure he gets plenty of rest and drinks lots of water. He should be feeling better in a couple days," The nurse continued, also mentioning that if the fever should get above 103 that Bae would need to be hospitalized, just in case."

The man gulped. He wouldn't let Bae get that bad, he promised himself. Rumplestiltskin would do whatever it took to take care of his boy well and ensure he got better. Bae had gotten sick a couple times when he was a little boy, and Rumplestiltskin had always nursed him back to perfect health without fail.

The pawnbroker nodded to her curtly, "Of course, thank you."

She nodded back and took in a breath, trying to continue on with the checkup in better spirits. Unfortunately, she had a feeling it wasn't about to get much better. When she had first spotted Mr. Gold's son, and got over the shock that he had a son – a child still no less - she immediately knew that he wasn't in the best shape.

On closer inspection, she saw from his face around those long, wavy locks that his pallor was quite pale and when he took the coat off how skinny he was. There were so many questions running through her head, but she knew it wasn't her place to ask them. Her suspicions on the boy possibly being malnourished were confirmed after discovering his exact weight.

Knowing this, the nurse felt bad for what she was going to have to do next, for the boy was so easily frightened.

The woman tried to speak softly to the boy as she explained to him what she needed to do next, "Bae, I'm going to have to look at your stomach a bit more, hun," she wanted to see how bad the malnutrition was.

As predicted, Bae immediately went tense. "W-why?" he asked sadly, his breathing starting to become faster.

"It's just for your own good, honey. It won't take very long at all, and I'll be as gentle as possible." Bae shook his head as she came closer and her hands came near his shirt.

Rumplestiltskin felt his heart break as he saw Baelfire become more and more upset and start backing away on the long chair; the boy looked ready to cry again and the man surely felt his own eyes moisten at how broken his boy had become. He felt a primal instinct to lash back at the woman who was causing his son to become so distraught.

He stepped between the nurse and Bae, his look telling her to back off a little. "Bae, it'll be all right."

Bae couldn't help it though. He didn't want to anger this woman who had been nice, but he also hated for her to see his stomach and his ugly ribs. It shamed him badly, and he didn't want anyone to see. The boy shook his head again and backed up against the wall from the adults, bangs hanging over his eyes, "No, no."

"Please, son. Don't be afraid. I promised you no harm would ever come to you so long as I was here, and I will never,  **ever** , break that promise. I don't know how bad your health is, and it's more important than you know that I know you're healthy and safe, Bae," Rumplestiltskin kept a good space between the two as he spoke softly.

Bae sniffed a little and looked into Mr. Gold's nice, warm brown eyes as he talked. He found himself calming and was soon scooting back into place.  _What was it about Mr. Gold that made him calm down so quickly and agree?_

The older woman watched the exchanged quietly, feeling greatly for both the son and father. This kind boy seemed to have been through something terrible for him to react this way. Children should never have to experience that type of fear.

Rumplestiltskin smiled warmly at his Baelfire, "Good, Bae. That's great, son. You're doing wonderful," He gave another bright grin.

Through his encouragements and presence, Mr. Gold was able to get the boy to lay down with only minimal squirming before she calmly came over to start her inspection.

As she came closer, Bae suddenly spoke up quietly, "Mr. Gold," he reached out a hand on his right to where Rumplestiltskin had been staying since they started the checkup.

Rumplestiltskin looked down in surprise at his son. He wasn't sure, but did Bae desire for him to hold his hand – as a way of support and comfort? Once again, Baelfire was holding out his hand to his father, begging for him to be there for him and not let him go.

He breathed in deeply, eyes misting again, and took up the familiar small and delicate hand in his one rough, larger one. "I'm here, Bae," he said with a tender smile.

_Papa's here, Bae. Papa will never let go; he'll hold on to you, Bae. I promise._

* * *

"It'll be over soon, Bae. I promise," Nurse Hull assured the boy before she began to pull the shirt up.

As suspected, when the shirt was all the way up, the boy's stomach was very thin with some of his ribs easily showing through. There was also a dark, large bruised blossomed over the left side of his ribs that looked painful and immediately made her suspect a broken rib or two. Working in the medical field, you got used to sometimes seeing these things, but to an untrained eye it could be quite jarring. To parents, it was even worse.

Rumplestiltskin felt his heart plummet and couldn't help but let out a small, startled gasp. He knew his son had been fending for himself and not been eating much, but he just couldn't stand to see Baelfire in such a state. It was like a nightmare come alive.

" _Bae_ ," Rumplestiltskin whispered brokenly, eyes crinkled and full of pain.  _I'm so sorry, son. It's all my fault._ Back in the Enchanted Forest, there had been times when money was very tight, and Rumplestiltskin worried about ensuring Bae had enough to eat. No matter what, he always told himself his child would not suffer from starvation, and if that meant he would suffer it and skip meals, he was more than glad to do so.

_I've failed. Failed my beautiful boy; the most precious person in my life._

The older woman could see how much anguish and pain Mr. Gold was in to see his son in such bad shape. She began to feel around as lightly as she could; when as she went over some of the ribs that were covered by the bruise she heard the boy give a soft gasp of pain.

" **Bae!**  What is it, son?" Mr. Gold was still holding onto one of Bae's hands securely and hovered protectively over him now; worry etched in his face completely. He had been shocked and focused on the boy's deteriorated state that he had failed to notice the dark coloring on the nurse's side of the room.

"I-it's, n-nothing," Bae tried to give the man and nurse a reassuring smile but it was obvious he was in pain from one look in his face, eyes squinting a little.

" _My, gods_ ," Rumplestiltskin trembled, his other hand twitched, seeking instinctively to reach out and brush over the angry purple mark and heal the bleeding beneath the light skin.

He stared intently at his son. "Bae, what-how did this happen to you, son?" But Baelfire just shook his head and looked down, long hair covering most of his face.

Rumple was fighting to contain his composure. To think of how Bae had already been on the streets, homeless and suffering from starvation had killed him. But to see that Baelfire was hurt as well…

Someone had hurt  _his boy_ ; Rumplestiltskin was sure of it.  _And they would pay dearly._

As the father and son had been talking, the older nurse continued to examine the child's ribs, concluding that one of the ribs had been broken underneath where the bruise lay.

"One of your lower ribs is broken, Bae," The woman said softly.

Knowing Mr. Gold was seconds away from demanding she fix his son immediately, she gave out her instructions swiftly. "It's nothing serious, but I'm afraid it will continue to hurt a bit as it heals. For the pain, the ibuprofen I'm going to give you for your fever can be used as well. Be sure not to take more than the prescribed dose, though," She told Mr. Gold seriously.

Nodding gravely at her, Rumplestiltskin turned his attention back to his Baelfire, wishing he could comfort his son more and take away his beautiful boy's suffering.

The two's hands were still interlocked, drawing the strength they both so terribly needed from each other. Even if the boy still did not fully realize it yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! This took forever, right? Ugh, I know, I suck. Thank you so much to everyone who is still sticking with this story and reviewed/favorited/followed! It really does mean a lot to me. Parts of what is in this chapter have been on my laptop for a while and I was meaning to write much more to give you guys a super nice long chapter as apology for my extremely long absence. Unfortunately, writer’s block and life just kept me from writing all that I wanted. So, I finally decided that I should give you guys whatever I had on here, even though it’s not as long or my best work, but figured something would be better than nothing and have you guys keep waiting and waiting. 
> 
> So, once again, I’m really, really sorry for the horrendous wait and I want to let you all know that I have always thought about this story and really have wanted to update. This chapter is to show that I am still dedicated to this story, but I’m still not sure how often I’ll be able to update (which sucks and I’m sorry about that) :(

Despite only thirty minutes passing since the examination had started, Rumplestiltskin felt as though half a day had transpired. After the nurse had thoroughly checked his boy’s stomach properly, later scribbling more notes onto her clipboard, Mr. Gold informed her of the cuts on Baelfire’s arms he had seen the day before.

 

“Alright, honey, you’re doing so well,” The older woman praised.  She could already tell that the fever was starting to take its toll on the boy. His face betrayed tiredness and his eyes looked glassy; some beads of sweat had formed on his forehead from the heat of the fever.  _Oh, the poor dear!_

With everything going through his mind, Bae had completely forgotten about the multiple cuts and scrapes on his skinny arms. The boy felt his cheeks blush in embarrassment again and bit his chapped, dry lips in worry. Bae looked up from beneath his long, chocolate curls with big eyes at the nurse as she came near him again to pull up his sleeves.

 

As gently as she could, the woman inspected the cuts with a critical eye and proceeded to dab some ointment from a cotton pad. Watching quietly while the nurse worked, Bae had expected a sting from the medicine she was applying to his cuts, but was thankfully spared when no pain emerged.

 

“All done,” Nurse Hull smiled and went back to make a few more notes on her clipboard.  Baelfire pulled down on his sleeves and sighed in relief that she was done.  Mr. Gold still hovered nearby with his hands clenched tightly on his cane, the man giving a critical eye to make sure the woman had treated the cuts on his son’s arms correctly.

 

“Okay, all ready for the doctor to come in,” The older nurse pushed a red button that would alert Dr. Whale on his needed presence. “It shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.” She gave a warm, comforting smile to the young boy and then another small one to his presumed father, Mr. Gold.  Shaking her head internally at how odd that still was, the nurse quickly exited the room, leaving father and son alone.

 

Baelfire swallowed nervously as the woman left him and Mr. Gold by themselves in the small room.  Though he had just come to know the older nurse, he wished that she were still there so he wasn’t faced with this awkward silence between him and the older man. 

 

Mr. Gold was the first to break the ice. “I’m so sorry, Bae. This won’t be much longer now, my boy, I promise.”  Rumplestiltskin was at a loss at how to best comfort his child; something that he had never truly had to face before.

 

The boy looked up from his own musings - head down and had been tracing some imaginary pattern on the floor – to the pawnbroker; his supposed _father_.

 

Bae gulped, “Oh.  Ah, t-thank you, Mr. Gold.  I really don’t feel that bad,” the young teen gave the man what he hoped was a reassuring smile.  His face easily betrayed his words though, the sweat shining through on his forehead and dampening his bangs. 

 

_Oh_. How Rumplestiltskin wanted to kiss his sweet boy’s forehead gently, card his fingers through his son’s beautiful dark curls – knowing how Baelfire had always loved when his papa played with his hair; it always brining a source of comfort to the boy – and hug him close; safe under his papa’s arms.

 

He cleared his throat past a lump that had formed and blinked away his suddenly wet eyes.

 

“All the same, my boy, you’ll feel much better soon. I promise, son.” Rumplestiltskin went as far as to lay a comforting and reassuring hand on Bae’s shoulder. The boy gazed up into identical eyes and smiled shyly again at him and Rumplestiltskin felt another pang tear through in his heart.

 

He just wanted to take his poor boy home. But there was still one thing that needed to be done.

Two small raps on the door indicated Dr. Whale’s presence and Mr. Gold gave him the okay to enter.  The doctor entered with a polite smile on his face; Gold coming towards him and the two men began a small conversation between themselves. Bae watched them curiously with big eyes.  Mr. Gold looked, as always, stern and intimidating while the doctor seemed to be obedient and compliant to whatever the man was saying.

 

Dr. Whale was quite curious to the newest young patient he had been informed of.  After the phone call he had received the previous day, he had remained quite shocked after Gold’s brisk conversation on the phone ended.  ‘A son?’  ‘Gold had a … _son?’_ A young boy, no less; just a child. It was a wonder indeed. Countless questions came to the man’s mind throughout the rest of his day and he was no less curious now to see the boy.    

 

 

After finally clearing some things up with Mr. Gold, Whale headed over to where the nurse had placed her clipboard while Gold moved over to stand by the boy’s side protectively, and took a quick scan at the contents.  “Ah, let’s see now, Bailey Gold,” Whale looked up from his clipboard to said young patient, the boy still sitting on the side of the long, examination chair quietly.

 

 

Rumplestiltskin smiled a little at Whale’s mention of his son’s full ‘name’.  Earlier, he had been writing down information for Baelfire’s appointment, which included all of his medical history – of which Rumplestiltskin realized his boy was surely must be sorely lacking.  He made a mental note to discuss this with Whale and see if Bae would need any immediate mediation or shots of any kind.  This realm was so equipped with advanced medicine and technology that sometimes Rumplestiltskin wondered how people from the Enchanted Forest lived as healthy as they did.  He supposed that each realm had a different set of ‘rules’ that the people of that land lived accordingly.  Perhaps in this land without magic, the inhabitants needed these advanced medicines much more.    

 

Other than medical information, the pawnbroker realized he had needed to state his son’s birth name, which was Baelfire. He was quite proud of his beloved son’s strong and fitting name, however he knew the name would be quite ‘strange’ in this land and figured Bae as a full name would be slightly odd as well. In the end, he had thought of two names that came close enough to his son’s real name: Baden and Bailey.

 

He had kept going between the two before finally deciding on Bailey.  And if he was to be honest, Rumplestiltskin thought the name to be quite adorable and seemed the perfect counterpart for his little boy in this realm.  The man smiled again.  Yes, Bailey would do.

 

“It looks like you’ve got a bit of a bad fever brewing here and some bad cuts and bruises, as well,” Whale stated looking over the boy, Bailey. The child was small and a tad too skinny, his clothes tattered and over-sized; hanging over his tiny frame, but did look clean.  The boy had long, floofy dark brown curls that hung over his eyes and curled around his neck.  At just his quick inspection, Whale thought the boy must be around twelve years old and not the fourteen years that was stated on his papers.  The man made a mental note to see if he could further decipher the resemblance between the boy and Gold after getting a better look at his face.

 

_Bailey?_ Bae blinked, thinking he must have heard the doctor wrong.  Hadn’t Mr. Gold told him the day before that his full name was… Baelfire? Or something of that sort? Sure, the boy had thought the name to be a _bit_ odd at the time, but now he was confused.  Perhaps he truly had misheard the pawnbroker the first time and he had actually said Bailey. The boy shrugged mentally, deciding it didn’t really matter considering he had not had a name at all just a few days previous.

 

“I’m just going to take a quick look again at everything the nurse saw to and then we’ll proceed to the paternity testing, all right? It’ll take no time at all.” Whale wasn’t very good at kids, and Mr. Gold’s son seemed especially quiet and shy. It didn’t exactly help that this child was supposedly _Mr. Gold’s **child**_.  A wrong look at the boy and Whale could probably find himself out of a job within the next day.  The doctor gulped and tried to be as reassuring as possible and smiled at the boy as he quickly inspected him, looked over his temperature again and made a few more notes on the clipboard.

 

“Did the nurse catch everything?  Look at all of his cuts and that bruise properly? And the fever?” Gold’s stern voice asked anxiously to Whale as he placed the clipboard down and gathered the needle necessary to draw blood for the paternity test. The older man’s accented voice held a warning that the nurse would most likely be in trouble if she had missed something. 

 

Whale whipped around, ”No, no, she did the checkup fine. I assure you, Mr. Gold.” The man placed his hands up to slightly calm the pawnbroker down.  “There’s nothing to worry about, Bailey will be fine.  He looks to be coming on with a fever, yes, and it’s unfortunate what with his injury to his bruised ribs,” Gold winced at that with a hiss, “but, truly Mr. Gold, some rest and painkillers and the boy will be perfectly healthy in a couple of weeks.”

 

Gold let out a deep breath and rubbed his eyes tiredly, completely looking his age.  Whale noticed that the older man’s eyes, normally barren of emotion and cold, looked suspiciously wet and pained.  He motioned the man to come a little closer.

  
“What?  What more, Whale?” Gold asked suspiciously.

 

“Nothing, I- just want to also stress that you might want to think about getting some extra nourishment into Bailey. He’s… a bit on the thin side for his age and I would like to see him gain some weight.  I know it will be a little difficult as he’s sick right now, which may possibly even result in him losing another pound or two..” Rumplestiltskin’s eyes widened in visible concern, knowing how his boy’s weight was very delicate right now, and what little weight he had now needed to stay on.

 

 “ _What?_   You said-“ Gold started; he gripped his cane dangerously, practically snarling.

 

Whale continued quickly before Gold resorted to violence, “Yes, he’s not in any immediate danger, I assure you.  But, I just wanted to bring up the possible issue. While he’s going through this fever, you can make sure he doesn’t lose any more weight with his sickness by making sure he still gets plenty of fluids into his system – which will also help with his fever.  Some soups with a good broth and not too many other ingredients will help and make it easier for him to get down if he feels too nauseous and ensure he still has some food in his stomach.”

 

Whale sighed again.  “And I’m sure you know all of this anyway, I just wanted to bring it up.  Lots of light soups, crackers, and water will be very good for him, and when he starts to feel better and his temperature goes down, I would suggest picking up some nutrient shakes – such as Ensure, to help give him more nutrients in addition to his everyday meals.”

 

Rumplestiltskin listened intently to the doctor. Despite all his opinions of Whale as a person, he wouldn’t deny the man was excelled in his profession. The older man knew a lot of what Whale was prescribing to him from previous sicknesses with his child, knowing that fluids were extremely vital.  Numerous memories surfaced through Rumple’s eyes of a flushed toddler’s face; the feel of heat that radiated off his long, spindly fingers as he felt and soothed his little boy’s soft, baby skin.  Sensations of himself brushing back soft, downy curls and bringing some water up to Baelfire’s lips as he would rock and hum to his boy cradled in his lap softly.

 

_‘Shh, my beautiful boy, shh my sweet, wee Bae.  Papa’s here, you’ll be alright.’_

Rumplestiltskin’s eyes moistened again. Yes, he was no stranger to caring for his boy during sickness and that thought eased a bit of his nerves. It may have been _centuries_ since he had the privilege of calling himself a father, but Rumplestiltskin _never_ forgot how to be one.

 

Still, he thanked Whale all the same for his advice on giving Baelfire some extra nutrients when he was well enough to and found himself grateful for this cursed land and their medical advances.   

 

Whale cleared his throat.  “If you’re ready, I’ll proceed with the testing now?”

 

Rumplestiltskin touched his tongue to the top of his mouth as he looked to Baelfire.  “Just let me have a moment with him.”  The man nodded and stood by the counter of the room, trying to momentarily busy himself as he silently watched the pair.

 

The clicking of Mr. Gold’s cane interrupted Bae’s nervous thought; the boy was ringing his hands again and biting his lips, “Bae?”

 

The brown eyed boy brought his head up, slightly startled, and gazed up at the older man through long, disheveled bangs, “Yes, Mr. Gold?”

 

Mr. Gold got that look in his eyes again as he inspected him for a moment, like he was hungrily memorizing every detail in his face as though he had not eaten in days.  It should have made him uncomfortable, and if he was being honest with himself, it _did_ , but the boy didn’t like any eye turned upon him; preferring to be a shadow.  Instead, it made him feel slightly warm inside because what Bae could see most in Mr. Gold’s eyes was pure love and adoration.

 

“My sweet boy, I-,” the man stopped a moment, clearing past a lump before continuing.  “I know this has been a trying day for you, son and I wish for nothing more than to take you home this instant.  But, we had a deal didn’t we, lad?” His eyes clouded over with pain at those words and he shut them closed for an instant as though pained. “I don’t intend to break it.”

 

Bae nodded up at him, knowing of the deal he had “struck” with the pawnbroker when the man had found him near his “home”.

 

“The doctor just has to take some of your blood and mine, compare them both, and then you’ll know what I’m saying is true, son. I promise you, it’ll be over quick and with as little pain as possible.” His accented voice was comforting and warm and Bae found himself smiling up at him despite his on-coming fever.

 

“Okay, I’ll be good,” the boy said quietly and sincerely, those big eyes so innocent.

 

Rumplestiltskin’s heart twisted painfully and broke all over again.  What had his poor, beautiful and beloved son been subjected to act so compliant without hesitation despite his fear and reservations?  “Oh, son.  I know, _truly_ , how good of a boy you are. Such a sweet, beautiful, _good_ boy,” his breathing hitched and Rumplestiltskin knew his eyes had moistened and were threatening to fall. Baelfire, meanwhile, couldn’t help but feel his own emotions start to bubble and boil over.  He couldn’t understand how Mr. Gold could be saying all these heartfelt and wonderful words about him.

 

 

Gold took a deep breath and forced himself to compose himself.  He needed to be strong for his son now, not break down in front of his child. He would not be worthless or a failure to his son any longer.

 

He tried again.  “I’m sorry, Bae.  I don’t mean to be so overwhelming, I-I just need you to know that you don’t need to prove anything to me or try to please me in any way.  This has nothing to do with you needing to be good or bad or anything like that.  It’s all right to feel whatever your feeling right now.  You may not know me, and that must be so scary, but I really do mean you no harm.  Just the thought-“ Rumplestiltskin broke off again and cursed himself for letting his thoughts wander again.

 

“I’m here for you, son.  Just know that, please.  I’ll be right here, okay, my boy?” His words had seemed to just jumble and come out in lumps and unintelligible rants. The man’s intention had been just to simply comfort his son, but apparently he could no longer successfully do that.

 

A quiet, beautiful and familiar voice interrupted his tormented thoughts.  “Thank you, Mr. Gold.”  Baelfire’s own eyes were teary, but his hands had stopped shaking and he no longer chewed his lip in worry.  His son gave him a little smile and Rumplestiltskin was grinning all over again. How many times had he been blessed with seeing that familiar small smile?  Too long had he not seen his beautiful child’s smile. _Too long._

 

The pawnbroker shook his head and gestured back to Whale, who still stood silently off to the side, that they were ready. The doctor was a little in shock at the display of emotion and affection that he had just witnessed between supposed father and son.  It was a whole new side to Gold that he never knew existed or thought possible to.

 

 Whale then came towards Baelfire with a needle, ready to draw blood when Rumplestiltskin held up a hand to stop him.  “No, me. Do me first, Whale,” he ordered. The spinner had took note of his son’s face and saw the fear laced in his wide, brown eyes as the man had come forward with the needle.  He wished there were an easier way, but Whale had told him that analyzing blood samples would be quicker.  If Rumplestiltskin wished for Baelfire to remain by his side, he knew that he would have to do this, as much as it killed him to see his precious boy in further fear and pain.

 

But he would prove to Baelfire first that having blood taken would be quick and done with as little pain as possible by going first himself. 

 

Whale complied and waited patiently as Gold deftly rolled up his dark blue dress shirt and held his bare arm out for the process to begin.  In truth, Rumplestiltskin had never actually had his blood drawn before, but his fake memories of this world supplied enough information for him to know that it would feel most like a slight pinch.

 

Soon enough, Dr. Whale had found a good vein to draw out blood and the needle was plunged in.  Just as he had predicted, the pain was nothing more than a long pinched feeling and Rumplestiltskin turned back to where Bae was watching; dark eyes big like saucers and biting on his bottom lip in worry.

 

Rumple gave him a soft and reassuring smile, “See, lad? Nothing to it.” The trust that the boy already showed in his eyes towards Rumplestiltskin caused a lump to form in his throat and his eyes to moisten again.  _Bae, my darling, beautiful boy._

 

True to his words, Whale then announced that he was done and began pulling the needle up and cleaning Gold’s arm and placed a small bandage on the tiny wound. 

 

“Alright,” Whale cleared his throat and looked between father and son.  “Are you ready, Bailey?” the man asked the small boy not unkindly.

 

Bae turned from Mr. Gold’s concerned expression and faced the doctor before nodding bravely.  The boy knew it wasn’t the pain that frightened him so much as everything that came with it.  He just couldn’t help but be so.. _terrified_ of a stranger’s touch.  It aggravated Baelfire to the point of tears but he was trying desperately not to continue on with a breakdown.  _I can be strong and brave. I know I can._

“Just hold out your arm for me, yes, like that perfect,” Whale was soon grabbing his outstretched thin arm gently by the small of his wrist.  Bae felt his head drop down; long, dark curls falling over his face and felt his eyes scrunch close together.

 

There was a moment of brief pain and it seemed just like that, it was over.

 

“All right, all done.  You did great.” Whale gave a smile to the boy and proceeded to bandage his wound up.  The man then headed over to the counter to place the blood into sample vials.

 

Bae breathed deeply in relief and nodded as the doctor went about his business.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it had to end there for right now :( I just really wanted to get something out for you guys. Thanks again for your truly amazing patience. You guys rock and are amazing and I’m so glad for your support!


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